Is Pureprofile (ASX:PPL) Weighed On By Its Debt Load?

Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. We can see that Pureprofile Ltd (ASX:PPL) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Pureprofile

What Is Pureprofile's Net Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Pureprofile had debt of AU$3.00m at the end of December 2020, a reduction from AU$21.6m over a year. But it also has AU$3.12m in cash to offset that, meaning it has AU$116.5k net cash.

A Look At Pureprofile's Liabilities

According to the last reported balance sheet, Pureprofile had liabilities of AU$9.76m due within 12 months, and liabilities of AU$4.91m due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of AU$3.12m and AU$6.48m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling AU$5.08m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Given Pureprofile has a market capitalization of AU$32.8m, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Pureprofile boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load! When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Pureprofile can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

In the last year Pureprofile had a loss before interest and tax, and actually shrunk its revenue by 2.3%, to AU$25m. We would much prefer see growth.

So How Risky Is Pureprofile?

Although Pureprofile had an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss over the last twelve months, it made a statutory profit of AU$534k. So when you consider it has net cash, along with the statutory profit, the stock probably isn't as risky as it might seem, at least in the short term. With revenue growth uninspiring, we'd really need to see some positive EBIT before mustering much enthusiasm for this business. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. For example Pureprofile has 5 warning signs (and 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) we think you should know about.

At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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